Police Officer Kills High School Student in St. Louis After Shooting Him 17 Times

Just as protests in Ferguson have died down, another horribly violent police killing has been reported less than 10 miles away from where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a cop in August. This time, the victim was also 18 and a high school student. Reports say an off-duty police officer shot at him an astounding 17 times, killing him on the street.

The incident took place last night in St. Louis. The 32-year-old officer, who is a six-year veteran of the force and was working his second job for a private security company at the time, reportedly noticed three teen boys walking in the street. For whatever reason -- which is unclear at this time -- he followed them in his vehicle. The unidentified officer says one of the boys began to run and then the others did the same. He then got out of his vehicle and chased them on foot -- which led to a one-on-one physical confrontation with teen Vonderrick Myers Jr.

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According to St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson, Myers was not simply a victim. He says he pulled out a gun during the confrontation and shot at the officer three times -- AND that he would have shot at him more had his gun not jammed.

Dotson says the off-duty cop responded by shooting 17 times, though it isn't known how many times the young man was struck by bullets. He died from his injuries. The officer is reportedly unharmed.

Now comes the truly hairy part. Myers's family says the teen DID NOT have a firearm and that the only thing he was carrying in his hand was a sandwich he had just purchased from a shop. Police say they uncovered a 9mm Ruger at the scene, but the boy's family says the weapon was NOT his.

Needless to say, this incident has sparked another round of protests in the streets. As many as 300 people reportedly gathered last night and into this morning. Many chanted, "Black lives matter," and called for justice for this murder. Some witnesses reported hearing gunshots, and police say several cop vehicles were vandalized. No arrests have been reported at this time.

What do you think about this incident? Is there ever a reason for a police officer to shoot someone 17 times?